Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star
by theprofessormordinsolus
Summary: Albus Dumbledore visits his former student, Bellatrix Lestrange, who isn't as evil as we all thought she was. What if she was a bit different? What if she wasn't insane? What if her loyalties to Voldemort were false?


"Twinkle, twinkle little star," she sang, giggling like mad. "How I wonder where you are…"

Albus Dumbledore looked into the small prison cell at his former student. She really was a changed woman from the girl he used to tutor. Her brown hair was now piled onto of her head in a messy bun. Her eyes glinted with fury. Her tongue continuously wetted her lips. It was curious how Tom had persuaded this young woman to kill for him. She had always been against him and everything he stood for. She wouldn't have shown it to her family, of course, but she confided in Albus the truth she hid.

He would say that she wasn't always this way, always mad. She had been a very bright girl who yearned to learn more everyday. She knew wrong from right. She was very opinionated, but never violent without cause. She was helpful and understanding. She loved almost everyone.

Albus motioned for Mad-Eye to bring the girl into the interrogation room. The head auror unlocked the girl's cell and pulled her up by the arm.

"Up above the world so high…"

"Yes, yes, like a bloody diamond in the sky," Mad-Eye muttered to himself as he bound her wrists together. The girl giggled. "Come this way, Albus."

He was led down various corridors until they came to a rather damp and dark room. The moment the girl saw the dementor she screeched and pressed back against the auror behind her. She shook her head and whispered under her breath the word, "No", over and over again.

"Calm yerself, Lestrange," Alastor growled. "That will be going in a moment."

The girl struggled as she was tied to her chair. She leaned as far away from the dark creature as she could without falling over. She no longer sang her happy little tune. Replaced was a terrified scream. The head auror rolled his mechanical eye and ordered that the dementor be shooed out of the room for the moment. The girl physically relaxed once the dark creature was gone. She began to hum and look about the room, her brown eyes studying it.

"She's all yours, Albus," Alastor told him. "If you need anyone, there will be two aurors just outside the room."

"Thank you, Alastor, but I don't think they will be necessary."

"Aye? Well, you haven't been round this one lately, have you?"

With this, Alastor left the room and shut the thick, metal door soundly behind him. The Headmaster of Hogwarts, school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, slowly walked to his chair and sat down. He studied the girl for a moment and wondered how this could be the same, bright and loving girl he had known in her school days.

Suddenly her dark eyes met his, piercingly and sharp. There was no gleam of insanity in them like most people would see. She had no reason to pretend with him. She sat back in her chair and smirked.

"Well, well, come to visit ickle me at last, have you, Albus?" she cooed. "How wonderful! What were you hoping for? A confession? A lovely little chat, maybe?"

"Hello, Bellatrix," he greeted her almost warmly. "How long has it been? Six, seven years?"

"Eight. And you didn't even bother bringing those cute little redheads with you," she pouted. "I was rather hoping to meet them now that they're all grown up. And how is my daughter? Ella?"

"I am sorry not to have brought the Weasley's with me. They were quite busy," Albus replied, smiling a bit. "Ella is doing quite fine. She looks much like you and Rodolphus when you were younger. She has your eyes and his hair-"

"Thank Merlin! She wasn't cursed with my god awful hair," she sighed in relief. "How is Rody, anyway? These WRETCHED AND LUDICROUS AURORS-" she turned her face towards the door to scream at the aurors who stood outside. "-won't let me see him. It's so awful, Albus. It's been years since I've been held by my husband. And tell me, what kept you from visiting me sooner? Could you not have popped in for just a few minutes? Or were you just too busy to visit poor little me?"

"I do apologize but business at Hogwarts hasn't exactly been easy these past few years. We've had a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year, it seems. And what with the craziness of those students and the nagging of Minerva-"The girl cracked a grin at this. "-I have not had the chance. So do forgive me."

"I shall, but only for this time. Don't stay away so long next time. I was so lonely. And look at me, Albus," she gestured to her clothing and her almost skeletal body. "They only give me water and bread. How do they expect me to survive? You must get me out of here," she pleaded.

"You know that I cannot." She sighed. "Not yet, at least. I have been working with the best investigators. We will get you out. Eventually. You must be patient, though."

"I have been patient," she whispered. "Eight years, I've been patient. I can stay here only so much long before I do go insane."

"I know, Bellatrix. It will be soon."

"How soon, Albus? Three, four years at the least, I bet. It won't be easy persuading Fudge to let me out of here."

"He doesn't think the public would be safe with you out, obviously. But, I have been working relentlessly to persuade him."

Bellatrix studied him.

"You're lying, Albus. I can see it in your eyes. You haven't made one move to get me out of here. It's because of this, isn't it?" she exposed her left arm to him and pointed at the Dark Mark disgustedly. "It's because I took this willingly. IT's because I murdered all of those people. You don't trust me. Not that I blame you. I don't trust me."

Albus sighed. He could never lie to her. She always knew. "You are right, Bellatrix. How am I to know if you won't begin killing in the name of the Dark Lord again?"

"You can't, can you? But you know me, Albus! The only reason I would ever hurt anyone, would be to protect my family! He threatened Cissy and Draco! He would have killed them if I hadn't done what he said. I couldn't have let them die! Give me veritaserum. It'll show that I tell only the truth. Please, Albus. You must believe me."

"You know that will be no use."

"Why did you come, Albus?" she asked after a pause. She looked away from him. "Was it to taunt me for my passed sins?"

"I would never taunt you, Bellatrix."

"Then what was your reason for visiting?"

"As you know, Ella will be attending Hogwarts this year. She cannot use your name. Will you allow her to go, not as a Lestrange or Black, but as Weasley?"

"Yes, of course, Albus. I do not want her to be bullied and shunned because of Rody and mine's tainted names."

"There is another reason I came, Bellatrix."

She looked at him. "Yes?"

"I came to tell you not to give up hope. There may come a day when Voldemort-"He saw the girl cringe. "-may return. He will not let his followers rot in this prison."

"Oh, yes. What a joyous return that shall be," she muttered. "And would you receive me as you did Severus? Would you send me out to my death? Would you have me spy?"

"If I felt that were necessary."

She sighed. "You know that I would help the Order."

"Of course you would. I brought something for you." He pulled a picture out of his robe and unfolded it. HE slid it across the table for her to see. "IT's quite recent."

"Is this-is this Ella?" she asked. She lifted her hand to touch the picture. Her fingers hovered just above it. She looked at him for confirmation. He nodded. Tears welled in her eyes. "She's so beautiful, Albus. She looks so much like Rody."

Indeed, the Eleven year old girl did look like her father. Her hair was long and straight and black. Her chin was sharp like his and her cheekbones were quiet defined. She was stood quiet proudly in the picture. But there was a softness to her that could only have belonged to Bellatrix. She smiled at the redheaded boys on either side of her. She was hugging one of them and kissing the other's cheek.

Bellatrix sniffed and looked away from the picture. "Thank you, Albus."

"Before I go, you know that Moody will want some sort of information."

"Of course, I know," she muttered. "What do you want me to give? A location of a body?"

"The truth, so the matter may be put to rest finally. Did you help your husband in the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom?"

"Yes. Yes I did. And in some sick, twisted way, I enjoyed it. There's something wrong with me Albus. Something mentally is wrong for me to have enjoyed it. And I'm sorry that I drove the two mad. I'm sorry that I ruined the childhood of that young boy. And I wish that I could take it back. All of it. Every death, every torture."

Albus sighed sadly and stood from his seat. "I'm afraid that is all the time I have, Bellatrix. I will visit soon."

Bellatrix watched him close the door. A moment later it opened again and Mad-Eye came in to take her back to her cell. She grabbed the picture of her child and stuffed it into her shirt. She stumbled along before the auror as the bloody man pushed her to her cell. She laughed harshly as she was pushed down to the floor of her cell. What a miserable sod he is!

She crawled to the far wall and curled into a ball. She looked at the picture of her baby and sighed. This was the product of a different person. Ella was born when she was still 'sane', still able to function properly.

Bellatrix isn't insane.

She isn't mad.

She never was.

It was all an act.

And one day, maybe Mad-Eye would see it. They would all see it. She'd help them one day. She'd help them defeat the Dark Lord, if it was the last thing that she ever did.

She giggled slightly and looked at the auror that stood outside her cell. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star…"

Her song, madly sung, was echoed down the corridors of Azkaban.


End file.
